BREAST CANCER

When it comes to catching breast cancer before it takes hold, genetic testing is an important tool to help identify people who are at a high risk for hereditary breast cancer.

Mammograms save lives by detecting breast cancer while it’s in its most treatable stage -- but they may be able to detect more than cancer.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is drawing to a close, but experts say it’s important to remain vigilant about breast cancer all year long.

She uses her voice every day as the program director for Mix 92.3 and on-air personality. Now, she’s using her voice for the greater good. This week in Your Neighborhood, meet Cheron Sanders, A true “shero.”

A stage three, triple negative breast cancer survivor. That’s Saunteel Jenkins.

A group of women are lighting up Metro Detroit to raise awareness for metastatic breast cancer.

Breast cancer awareness is abundant, as it well should be, but what we don't talk about often enough is breast cancer in men.

Breast cancer survival increases when treatment involving surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are completed within 38 weeks of the initial diagnosis, according to a recent Cleveland Clinic study.

If you’ve heard of cancer, you’ve heard of breast cancer -- in fact, it’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women.

The “Michigan Softball Academy” sponsored by the University of Michigan Wolverines softball team is transitioning to a virtual format for the second straight year.

Today is the first day of Black History Month, a month dedicated to remembering the many black Americans who have helped shape the world we live in. In honor of that, we are kicking it off with a story about a local woman who is making her mark in history. Nayana Ferguson is the first black woman to co-own a tequila company, but it was not something she initially saw for herself. They both developed a love of tequila and decided to study it and learn all about it. He said he wanted to own a tequila company, but laughed it off as impossible.

It’s not a comforting statistic: About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. That makes breast cancer the most common cancer among women, the site goes on to say. In fact, 90% of all breast cancer cases are now treatable, the American Cancer Society says. Breast cancer screening includes mammography and other breast imaging exams. An estimated 5 to 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary, according to cancer.org.

For someone who has never had to experience or endure breast cancer, it might be understandable that there are questions involved. Does a diagnosis typically come as a surprise, or do people often suspect that something feels not quite right?

For someone who has never had to experience or endure breast cancer, it might be understandable that there are questions involved.

Why are mammograms important? Mammograms are very important because they are the best tool for detecting breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. When should women start getting mammograms? A family history of breast cancer is an important factor when it comes to your own personal chances of getting breast cancer. If you have questions about your risk for breast cancer, Beaumont Health has a free online risk assessment.

DETROIT – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Local 4′s thoughts are with Saunteel Jenkins, the CEO of the Heat and Warmth Fund and former Detroit City Council president. Jenkins has spent most of her career in the public eye, serving the community and helping people in need. She’ll be the first to admit she often puts the needs of others before her own. Now, in the middle of a fight for her life, it’s no surprise that her focus is to share her battle in hopes of helping others. You can watch Rhonda Walker’s full conversation with Jenkins in the video posted above.

For someone who has never had to experience or endure breast cancer, it might be understandable that there are questions involved. Does a diagnosis typically come as a surprise, or do people often suspect that something feels not quite right?

LANSING, Mich. – A partnership between the United Health Foundation and the Michigan Primary Care Association (MPCA) to develop a pilot program for genetic testing and screening for breast cancer was announced Thursday. Gretchen Whitmer announced the three-year partnership after she proclaimed October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. READ: Ann Arbor native releases ‘Chemo Stories’ podcast for Breast Cancer Awareness monthThe American Cancer Society and MPCA will screen additional patients and engage high-risk patients and their family members in genetic testing. “One of the most crucial things we can do to prevent and treat breast cancer is raise awareness and expand access to health care, cancer screenings, and genetic testing,” Whitmer said. “As we observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, it’s important to remember that while we must take precautions to stay safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s also crucial we seek important medical care and regular screenings that can detect cancer before symptoms appear.”READ: More Breast Cancer Awareness Month coverage

Zaremba said through Zoom that her podcast series is part pre-recorded audio journal, part pandemic passion project full of intense raw emotion. The podcast series begins with her recounting the weeks leading up to her diagnosis, going through chemotherapy and sharing the best advice she received from another breast cancer survivor. She’s hopeful that her podcast can help others experiencing the ups and downs of their own breast cancer journeys or struggling with difficult situations. Through her experience with breast cancer and recovery, Zaremba learned that its ok to not know. Her podcast normalizes the breast cancer experience and offers listeners coping strategies that worked for her.

Researcher Dr. Murray Rebner said the later guidelines are putting Black women at a disadvantage by ignoring some very key facts about their risk. While Black women are slightly less likely to get breast cancer, they’re significantly more likely to die from it. Studies find 23 percent of breast cancers in Black women are diagnosed before age 50 compared to 16 percent of all breast cancers in White women. Triple negative breast cancer makes up 21 percent of the cases in Black women compared to 10 percent in White women. READ: Study indicates that exercise can reduce risk of breast cancer returningRebner says the BRCA2 genetic mutation which dramatically raises the risk of breast cancer is also more common in Black women than White women who aren’t of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.

We realize the questions above are quite personal. But we’ll ask, for anyone who might be open to sharing: How did you learn of your breast cancer?

DETROIT – October is breast cancer awareness month, a disease that one in eight women will develop in their lifetime. Researchers are looking for an effective way to both reduce the risk of getting breast cancer and up the odds of survival. There is good news when it comes to exercise and breast cancer. READ: U-M develops app that calculates risk of delaying cancer treatments during COVID-19HPV vaccine and risk of cervical cancerA new study confirms the HPV vaccine reduces the risk of cervical cancer. Those who were vaccinated before age 17 were 88 percent less likely to develop cervical cancer than their unvaccinated peers.

These days, it’s pretty rare not to know someone who has struggled with cancer, especially breast cancer.

These days, it’s pretty rare not to know someone who has struggled with cancer, especially breast cancer.

If you think you are at risk for breast cancer there are some things you can do to try to be proactive against the disease. Those with a history of breast cancer in their family can be tested for the breast cancer gene and also begin screening for the disease at an earlier age. The earlier breast cancer is detecting the better chance doctors have of successfully treating it. Mammograms have been shown to lower the number of breast cancer deaths in women between the ages of 40-50. The Mayo Clinic says breastfeeding may lower a woman's chance of getting breast cancer.